Hearts Move Eight Points Clear in Front at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year stranglehold. They now lead by eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
A crucial three-minute spell proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was contested closely. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling the Hearts player for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; challenges abound for him.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a Shankland cross. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader McGregor, turning home a Tierney pass for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
